Based on sales, the Cessna 172 line is the most popular civil aircraft ever made. There were nearly 36,000 built and delivered from 1956 until production stopped in 1986 with the Cessna 172P. Production resumed in 1997 and the two current models are the Cessna 172R and 172S.
The 1949 Cessna 170 tail dragger was the forerunner of the Cessna 172, and nearly every other Cessna single. As time went on, weights increased and power went up. The choice of engine switched from a Continental to a Lycoming in 1968.
The Cessna 172K Hawk XP was a Cessna 172N powered by a fuel-injected Continental IO-360-K2 turning a constant-speed propeller. The Hawk XP also had a 116 pound higher gross weight and a higher degree of interior completion than the 172N. Some 1,455 Hawk XPs were built from 1977 to 1981. The added power also made the Hawk XP somewhat popular as a float plane.
The Model 172 is stable and easy to fly. However, it is not a full gas/full passenger airplane, like almost all the others in its class. Comfort for the pilot and three passengers is good and maintenance is basic and straightforward. As with others in this category, loading the aircraft with optional avionics reduces the useful load.